Ipad Vs Playbook

Apple iPad vs. BlackBerry PlayBook hands on - CES 2011

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Jan 5, 2011 a 11:26 pm

Our good friend CrackBerry Kevin got to go hands-on and do a full BlackBerry Playbook review today -- including a one-on-one with Apple's iPad -- and I got dragged along as camera guy.

The PlayBook looked very good. Much more responsive and fluid than the Galaxy Tabs I've tried (that will likely change come Honeycomb on the Droid Pad) and while it wasn't finished hardware or software yet, it certainly looks like it's living up to RIM's ambitions. Developer support/platform momentum, future form factors (RIM has one of every phone type, could there be bigger tablets, keyboard sliders, who knows?), how it will play beyond the BlackBerry base, and what the tablet market will look like when iPad 2 hits are all questions that remain to be answered. But for today, kudos to RIM for a slick, smooth UI and really nice looking hardware.

Kevin's iPad vs. Playbook video after the break. Check out CrackBerry.com for the full Blackberry PlayBook review including RIM's walkthrough video, Kevin's impressions, and a ton more photos. Then race back here and tell us what you think, is the BlackBerry PlayBook going to make a dent in Apple's iPad 2 plans?

iPad competitors once again lining up for CES

By Rene Ritchie, Sunday, Jan 2, 2011 a 11:13 am

CES 2011 starts in just a few days and once again the iPad competitors are lining up to take a shot at Apple's breakthrough tablet. I say "once again" because last year, even before Apple had announced the iPad, rumor of it alone was enough to get Steve Ballmer on stage showing off a Windows-powered HP Slate, and to line the halls with all sorts of in-development tablets based on Android, Linus, etc.

None of those materialized for the mainstream but now that Apple has launched iPad and sold millions upon millions of them, you can bet this year will be different, and here are just some of the players:

Why is RIM running away from BlackBerry to battle Apple?

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Dec 17, 2010 a 1:28 pm

Why is RIM running away from BlackBerry in order to try and keep up, never mind compete, with Apple's iPad, never mind iPhone? Georgia, Chad, Ally and I spoke about this at length on last Sunday's iPad Live! podcast but given RIM's financial results and accompanying comments this week, I think it's appropriate to get some text behind it now as well.

RIM puts PlayBook vs. iPad in browser test video

By Brian Tufo, Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010 a 1:16 pm

Today RIM posted a video of their PlayBook vs. Apple's iPad to demonstrate the browsing ability and speeds the PlayBook has to offer. The results are interesting but seemingly skewed as well.

There were three different tests RIM used to compare the browers on the two devices. They went head-to-head in raw web-site rendering, Acid3, and Java.

To start out they are both directed towards IFA.com and then CBS.com. The PlayBook clearly finishing loading and rendering both web-sites faster than the iPad. The CBS site however has flash content on it and obviously will not fully load on the iPad.

On the Acid3 test both devices managed to score 100/100 but RIM boasts that the iPad has an HTML error during this test.

The funny thing about these tests are that the iPad is over 6 months old compared to the PlayBook not even being out yet for sale. Also an interesting note is the fact the PlayBook is running on QNX which is Adobe Flash and AIR programs so naturally it will run flash sites as compared to the iPad not having flash capabilities.

It will be far more interesting to see the 2nd generation iPad pitted versus the PlayBook as the two devices will be on a much more level playing field. Do you think this test has any validity given the fact the iPad is real and the PlayBook is still technically vaporware or do you think this is Apple's chance to step up their game and blow the PlayBook out of the water?

Check out the video after the break!

[ CrackBerry ]

RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie fires back at Steve Jobs, Apple

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Oct 19, 2010 a 4:02 pm

RIM's co-CEO, Jim Balsillie has also fired back at Steve Jobs, who said during Apple's Q4 2010 conference call that RIM would need to change into a software company to catch up to iPhone and iPad. Balsillie's statement:

Steve Jobs: 7-inch tablets are terrible

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Oct 18, 2010 a 6:24 pm

Steve Jobs' surprise appearance on Apple's Q4 conference call, and his utter annihilation of the 7-inch tablet concept, means Apple will never, not ever release a 7-inch tablet... or is planning to release one very, very soon.

Highlights, paraphrased:

Steve Jobs: RIM will have to change to catch up with iPhone, iPad

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Oct 18, 2010 a 6:18 pm

During Apple's Q4 2010 conference call today, surprise attendee Steve Jobs took it to RIM, their BlackBerry link, and upcoming PlayBook tablet saying they'll have to fundamentally re-invent themselves to catch up.

Highlights, paraphrased:

Steve Jobs! (SJ): 14.1 million iPhones represents 91% growth. Handily beat RIM's 12.1 million BlackBerry's sold in most recent quarter. Past RIM, doesn't see them catching up. They must become a software platform company. A challenge for them. A high mountain to climb.

When it comes to their PlayBook tablet, he lumped them in with criticism for smaller screened Android Tablets as well:

Is BlackBerry's iPad competitor about work or about Play(Book)?

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Sep 28, 2010 a 3:26 pm

BlackBerry PlayBook ships in 2011, competition for iPad 2 (and iOS 5?)

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Sep 27, 2010 a 9:38 pm

I got the BlackBerry PlayBook announcement up as fast as we could, so fast I missed out that it's only shipping in 2011. That means it's not really competition for the current iPad at all, but competition for iPad 2, which Apple will likely announce in January 2011 and ship in March/April. And that's a while different story.

BlackBerry announces 7-inch PlayBook tablet, iPad competition heats up

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Sep 27, 2010 a 4:44 pm

RIM has just announced their iPad tablet competitor, the BlackBerry PlayBook. They're marketing it as the world's first professional table and the specs look great, almost as though it was specifically designed to counter-program the iPad:

7-inch screen
1GHz dual-core processor (or is it 2GHz Cortex A9?)
1080p video with HDMI out
Front and rear cameras
HMTL5 and Flash 10.1
BES support (of course)
Up to 1GB of RAM (?)
Built on QNX OS

Check out the video after the break and CrackBerry.com via the link below for ongoing coverage straight from Dev Con, and let us know what you think. Is Apple finally in trouble in the very space they created?

[CrackBerry]